Pressure regulating attachment for liquid containers



May 12, 1942.

H. c. SHORES PRESSURE REGULgTING ATTACHMENT FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 28, 1941 May 12, 1942. H. c. SHQRES 2,283,100

PRESSURE REGULATING ATTACHMENT FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 28, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 12, 1942 PRESSURE REGULATING ATTACHMENT FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Harry G. Shores, Maplcwood, Mo.

Application February 28, 1941, Serial No. 381,199

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in means for creating pressure within liquid containers, such as beer kegs, and the like, and has for its primary object to provide an inflatable bag adapted for attaching to a wall of the keg and projecting therein so that pressure of the liquid in the container may be increased by expanding the bag.

In dispensing beer from kegs or barrels it is essential that internal pressure be created for forcing the beer through the spigot, and this has usually been accomplished by providing a liquid carbonic gas which is projected into the liquid in the keg. However, it has been found that the beer becomes stale within a few days through the use of this carbonic gas and accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide means for creating pressure within the kegs to facilitate the dispensing of the beer therefrom, and which, at the same time, will not result in the beer becoming stale.

A further object is to provide an attachment of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensiveto manufacture and install in use on the keg and which otherwise is well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a beer keg showing the inflatable bag mounted in position therein,

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on a line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the bag attaching unit,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 44 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a top plan View of the fitting to which the inflatable bag is clamped,

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view of the recessed attaching plate for the bag clamping member, and

Figure 7 is a side elevational View of the fitting keg of conventional construction and which includes the end wall 6 provided with the opening I. A plate 8 is welded or otherwise permanently secured to the outer surface of the end wall 6, the plate having a well 9 projecting inwardly of the end wall as shown to advantage in Figure 2 of the drawings; The side walls of the well, at the inner edge thereof, are provided with flanges In at diametrically opposite sides of the opening ll formed in the base of the well, the flanges having arcuate inner edges as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings.

Positioned in the opening l I is a fitting deSig-- nated generally at IZ which includes a plate l3 positioned inwardly of the flanges [0 of the well 9,the plate having a pair of upstanding studs l4 projecting through the opening II and engageable with the edges of the flange to prevent rotation of the fitting. The plate I3 is formed with a central opening l5 and rising from the plate and surrounding the opening 15 is an externally threaded sleeve I6 which projects upwardly into the well 9. A nut I1 is threaded on the sleeve "5 and adapted, when tightened, to bear against the flanges I9 and thus clamp the plate l3 against the under side of said flanges. Recesses I8 are formed in the nut H for receiving a spanner wrench to manipulate the nut and suitable packing washers l9 are interposed between the nut and the flanges H) as well as between the flanges l0 and the plate I3.

Freely positioned in the opening l5 of the fitting !2, is a tubular member 20 having a flange 2| at its inner end on which is positioned a rigid Washer 22 for clamping the open end portion 23 of a rubber inflatable bag 24 against the under side of the plate 13 of the fitting l2. The tubular member 20 projects upwardly through the fitting and has its upper end internally and externally threaded, the external threads being adapted to receive a nut 25 for clamping the tubular member to the fitting, suitable packing rings 26 being interposed between the nut 25 and the upper surface of the plate l3 of the fitting inwardly of the sleeve portion [6 thereof.

The internal threads of the tubular member 20 are adapted to threadedly receive a plug 21 for closing the outer end of the tubular member.

The outer edge of the Sleeve I6 may be provided with openings 28 and the outer end of the plug 27 is also provided with an opening 29 adapted to receive a fastening device, such as a wire threaded through the opening (not shown) to lock the plug against accidental displacement.

Upon removal of the plug I! a hose coupling readily understood from the: foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I 7 claim is:

1. A pressure generating attachment for containers comprising an attaching plate attached to the container, said container having an opening and said plate being secured at the edges .of the opening and also having an opening, flanges on opposite edges of the opening of the plate, a fitting including a plate abutting the inner surface of said flanges and having a central opening, an externally threaded sleeve rising from the last named plate concentrically of the opening therein, said sleeve projecting outwardly through the opening of the attaching plate, projections rising from the second named plate and engaging an edge of the flanges to prevent rotation of the fitting, an internally and externally threaded tubular member positioned in the opening of the fitting, a flange on the inner end of the tubular member, an inflatable bag in the container and having a filling opening with its edges clamped between said last named flange and the plate of the fitting, nuts threaded respectively on the outer end of the sleeve and tubular member to secure the same in position, said tubular member being adapted for attaching a hose to its outer end for supplying fluid under pressure to the bag for inflating the same and means for closing the outer end of the tubular member when the hose is detached therefrom,

2. A pressure generating attachment for containers and comprising an expansible bag, a fitting removably secured in the wall of the container and having a central opening, a tubular member positioned in the opening, a flange on the inner end of the tubular member, said bag having an open end with its edges clamped between the flange and the under side of the fitting with the bag projecting into the container, said tubular member having an internally and an externally threaded outer end, a nut on the externallythreaded portion of the tubular member for securing the same to the fitting, the outer end of the externally threaded portion being adapted for attaching a fluid pressure supply line to the tubular member for expanding the bag, and a plug threaded in the outer end of said tubular member.

3. A pressure generating attachment for containers and comprising an expansible bag, and a fitting securing the open end of the bag within the container and comprising an outer tubular member secured to the container and an inner tubular member secured in the outer member and adapted for attaching a fluid pressure supply line thereto, said inner tubular member having a flange on one end and movable axially of the outer tubular member for clamping the open end of the bag therebetween.

HARRY C. SHORES. 

